A Few Spelling Rules

Here are a few rules. Keep the principles in mind--but don't bog down in the rules. (You'll do better simply memorizing the words you misspell.)

1. Keep the final e of the root word before adding a suffix beginning with a consonant (-ment, -ness, -less, -ful). (commencement, pronouncement, etc.)

4. On words ending with a consonant preceded by a single vowel, double the consonant before adding -ing. (drip/dripping; can/canning, etc.)

5. A word of more than one syllable ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, doubles the consonant before adding -ed or -ing: begin/beginning, compel/compelled, prefer/preferring, control/controlling . . .)

6. To retain the soft sound of the c (s sound) and of the g (j sound) in words ending in ce and ge, we keep the final e (peace/peaceable; replace/replaceable; arrange/arrangement; advantage/advantageous; notice/noticeable; change/changeable)

7. Words ending in two vowels (a vowel + final e) retain the final vowel (e) before adding a suffix. (see/seeable; shoe/shoeing; canoe/canoeing)

8. i before e except after c. Exceptions fit a jingle:

Neither leisured foreigner
Seized the weird height.

9. For words ending in c, insert k before adding -ing or -y. (picnic/picnicking; traffic/trafficking; panic/panicky . . .)

10. Use i before e unless the two letters are pronounced as in

The eight counterfeit steins
deceived the deity.

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